Cabin Fever...........

I wish to work backwards on our trip to California...

Yesterday, 14 August 2016, Garvin, Hyrum, and I left California to

return home from this past weekend's activities of

returning my father to California where he could be buried

with my mother...

I had to see my grandfather's - Wally Heisen - cabin ONE MORE TIME...

The cabin is located off Highway 50...about 6 tenths of a mile

from "Strawberry Lodge" - where we would go swimming

in the swimming pool...His cabin was on Lot #12...My mother was 9 years old

when my grandfather...bought this cabin...(1938)

The HEISEN cabin holds some of the BEST of the BEST 

childhood/growing up teen year memories...

My father would not go any where else...EXCEPT to the cabin for his

summer vacations from work...Consequently, I celebrated MANY of

my birthdays...at the cabin...smile

This picture was taken of my brother, Steve and I...Had to be 

in the mid-1950's

The people who own the cabin now...added a new 

fireplace...took out the railings...changed the porch

somewhat...I have no idea...what it looks

like in the inside.....but, I believe, it was for the best...

to NOT have seen the inside...

for...I only have the memories I REMEMBER...

But there is something NO ONE can change...except God Himself...

and that is the SMELL...OH...my goodness...the SMELL...

As soon as I got out of the car...I took a DEEP BREATH...

and took in the SMELL...that incredibly CLEAN PINE SMELL!

While, Garvin slept in the car...Hyrum and I went on our

own little adventure...Hyrum was gracious...allowing me...my 

moments...for this experience brought out much

of my inner emotions...

Here are the pictures I took, yesterday...I am going to make some into photos...and frame them on my wall in my office...

 Hyrum observing the cabin for the FIRST TIME...

 Some of the grounds around the cabin...

 When there was still plenty of water in the Sierra Mountains...

this creek would run along side of the cabin...(deck area)

We would dam it up some...so there would be

a pond size amount of water...We would put our

"watermelons" in the pond...to keep them cold...

However, one summer, we all woke up to finding only the

rinds...for a Mama bear and her cubs had come in the night...

or early morning...and had a FEAST! smile 

 The other end of the creek...that went down to the American

river...

This is the SAME bridge my grandfather built...still in its place...

that went over the creek...to our "horse-shoe pit" where many

a competition took place...Eventually, one of my grandfather's

dearest friends, Casper Kolb, bought the cabin next door...This bridge 

got plenty of use...over the many years my grandfather owned

this cabin...

Was My Bit of Heaven...Here on Earth...

The American River is BEHIND my 

Grandfather's cabin...though, you had

to walk a few yards to get to it...

But, the SOUND was ALWAYS present!

 Hyrum took pictures so that Jessica could see this 

incredibly beautiful area...I use to scout out...up and down the river...

Often would find a rock in the middle of the river...

and sit...think...and simply...DRINK IN the solitude...

Further up the river...is where I nearly drowned...smile 

 The forest on the OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER...

 Hyrum...discovering the sand on the river floor...

 Loved the trees...LOVED the smell....

 Incredibly GRATEFUL...for one more memory....

(my overalls are wet due to wading in the river - smile)

 The TALL peak was known as "Lover's Leap"...

the same two lndian lovers...who had jumped off many

other "Lover's Leap" peaks...smile 

(this peak is right behind my grandfather's cabin...

on the OTHER side of the river)

 When I was a kid...I LOVED looking for this bend on the

highway...where we could see "Lake Tahoe"...

Tahoe was about 30-45 minutes from the cabin...

Still only a two-lane highway through the mountains...